Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: From the Walls of Babylon to the Sewers of Rome

"Seven were the strings of the lyre (unless there happened to be eight or nine), seven were the gates of Thebes, and seven were the "wandering stars" in the night sky (if you count the sun and moon). The identity of the wonders was less important than the length of their list, and indeed, additions and changes were proposed since the beginning."

"The classic seven-wonders roster includes the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Great Pyramid of Giza, that last being the only one still in existence today."

"Ryan's alternative list includes the Egyptian labyrinth at Hawara, which Herodotus considered superior even to the Pyramids; the Temple of Zeus at Cyzicus, which Pliny the Elder described as lined by gold tubes to let in the sunlight; the sewers of Rome, a civilizational achievement unto themselves; and the Theater of Scaurus, which seated an astonishing 80,000 people."

The seven wonders of the ancient world represent a culturally significant list rooted in Greek reverence for the number seven, which appeared throughout their worldview in various contexts. While most people recognize the existence of seven wonders, few can name them all. The classical roster includes the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, Lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Great Pyramid of Giza—the only survivor today. Alternative lists have been proposed since ancient times, including structures like the Egyptian labyrinth at Hawara, Temple of Zeus at Cyzicus, Roman sewers, and the Theater of Scaurus, demonstrating that the specific wonders were less fixed than the symbolic importance of maintaining seven items.

Read at Open Culture